This invention relates to shuttle means for receiving a measured quantity of flowable material from a supply source, transferring that quantity of material to a use site, and discharging it there before returning to the supply source to begin the cycle again. More specifically, the invention involves a cup that is filled with flowable material from a supply bin, is transported to a use site where the contents of the cup are deposited before the cup is returned to the supply bin for refilling and repeating the shuttle movement.
The apparatus of the invention is particularly useful in a system such as that disclosed in pending application Ser. No. 09/161,638 of D'Alterio involving the hot molding of a measured volume of cooked, cut spaghetti into a pizza-like shell. The novel apparatus makes it possible to move a measured volume of spaghetti from a hopper filled with cooked spaghetti to the mold of the aforesaid D'Alterio application, deposit that volume of spaghetti in the mold and return to the hopper without interfering with the movements of the molding system.
No prior art pertinent to this invention is known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,322 to Henry proposes a dispenser for nuts which has a movable slide that transfers a measured volume of nuts from the bottom of a hopper to a delivery chute. The hopper, slide and chute of Henry may serve as a dispenser of nuts in a retail shop but is useless in a manufacturing system where Henry's structure would obstruct movements of that system.
Accordingly, a principal object of this invention is to provide means for transporting a measured volume of flowable material from a supply container to a use site where the measured material is discharged, and thereupon the means are returned to the supply container.
Another important object is to provide apparatus especially suitable for handling wet stringy materials such as cooked spaghetti.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description which follows.